Wire-stretcher.



PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907.'

H. L. PERRIS. y VWIRE STRETGHER. APPLIGATION FILED MAY1`3,1905.

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NITRD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY L. FERRIS, OF HARVARD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HUNT, HELM, FERRIS COMPANY, OF HARVARD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb, 19, 1907.

Application filed May 13, 1905. Serial No. 260.210.

Be it known that I, HENRY L. FERitis, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Harvard, in the county of hiiclfienry and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire- Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in wirestretchers, and is iully described and explained in this specilication and shown in the accompanying drawings, in whichw Figure l is a top plan of my improved device in use. Iiig. 2 is a perspective view of the traveling slide, and rig. 3 is a pei-spec* tive view of the lront end or' the ratchet-bar.

In wire-stretching devices ol' various sorts the device ought to work to secure the best results in two positions with respect to the post toward which the wire is being pulled. ln laying a long length ol wire for fencing an ordinary stretcher is attached to one et the posts and secured to the wire in liront of said post, whereupon the stretcher is operated to pull up the wire, and the wire is nailed to the post next in iront of the one to which the stretcher is secured. In such cases the common means for securing a stretcher to the post has been a chain passed around the post and engaging the stretcher. When, however, the corner of the ield to be lenced is reached, it becomes necessary, or at least desirable, to stretch past the post to which the stretcher is secured, so that the wire can be drawn tight throughout its entire length. I/Vhen working in this position, an entirely dil'lerent problem as to supporting the stretcher presents itself, 'for the stretcher exerts a pushing strain on the post instead of a ,pulling strain.

My invention is designed to furnish a device which will work interchangeably both in Jfront el' and behind the post, the said device being simple, cheap, etiicient, and, l'urthermore, of the same general type as a welllinown stretcher now in use which has been thoroughly tested commercially and 'linds a ready sale.

Referring to the drawings, A is a ratchetbar upon which is mounted a longitudinallymovable slide B, to which is pivoted between its ends a handle C. The handle C carries pawls D, which are arranged to engage opposite sides ol the ratchet-bar as the lever is reciprocated. 'lhe rear end of the ratchetber carries a double hook E for attachment with a chain, by means ol which the stretcher can be secured upon the post when operating in the ordinary manner. So niuch of the construction is old and well luiownand needs no lurther description.

rIhe l'ront end ol the ratchet-bar A is provided with a point a, which can be forced into the wood ol a post to prevent lateral displacenient of the end. Two angle-pieces A are secured to the forward end ol the ratthet bar just behind this sharpened point to give a llat bearingon the post. 'lhe front end of the slide B is provided with a transverse portion, one end olE which is lorned into a hook Z) lier the attachnent of a chain and the other end of which is lorned into an eye b to receive a wire-clair p F of ordinary lorin. G indicates a chain ol ordinary construction, said chain carrying at one end a wire-clan^p g. This completes the description of the nechanical portion of my device, and from such description its operation can readily be understood.

In working Vwith the stretcher in front of the post the chain G is secr red to one end of the hook E, passed aror nd the post, and seci' red to the other point of the hook. The fence-wire is then secr` red to the wire-clamp I" and drawn i p in the ordinary way. When it is desired to draw two ends ol wire together to form a splice, the chain G is connected to the hook E at one end, and a strand of the wire is connected to the wire-clamp g and the other strand to the clamp F. I/Vhen it is desired to apply the stretcher behind the postas, lor instance, at the corner-post of the `field or in any other position where it is desirable to 'lasten the wire to the same object which srpports the stretcher-the parts are arranged as in Fig. 1, with the sharp end of the ratchet-bar A against the post. The wire is pi lied i' p by hand i ntil reasonably tight and secr red to the clamp F. The chain G is secired to the hook l), passed aror nd on the opposite side el the post from the wire, and the clamp g is engaged with the wire. The device is then operated in the ordinary m anner and the wire pi'lled r p; but it will be seen that the pull on the wire is distributed approximately equally between the chain G IOO and that portion of the wire between the clamp g and the clamp F. In this way a balancedpall is maintained on the stretcher7 which prevents its being displaced in the plane of the wire and chain. While I prefer to utilize that portion of the wire between the clamps as the balancing means, it is obvior-.s that other means than this wire might be employed, the object being merely to provide some balancing means for the chain7 which balancing means passes upon the opposite side of the post therefrom. Displacement of the stretcher in the other plane is prevented by the angle members A and their engagement with the post.

I lrealize that considerable variations are possible in the details of this construction without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not intend, therefore, to limit myself to the specific form herein shown and described.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination with a stretcher-bar adapted to bear against a support, and to extend substantially in the line of the wire to be stretched, of a movable slide carried by the bar, a chain adapted to pass on one side of the s-ipport and having one end sec-cred to the slide and the other end adapted to be connected to the wire to be stretched7 and a wire passing upon the opposite side of the support and serving to transmit a balanced pull whereby the bar is maintained in proper position.

2. The combination with a stretcher-bar adapted to bear against a srpport and to eX- tend substantially in the line of the wire to be stretched, of a movable slide rpon the bar, a chain having one end attached to the slide and having a clamp upon the other end, said chain being adapted to be passed on one side of the sr pport and to be connected to the wire to be stretched, and balancing means for the chain passing upon the opposite side of the szpport and extending to the slide.

3. The combination with a stretcher-bar adapted to bear against a srpport and to eX- tend substantially in the line of the wire to be stretched, of a slide movable r. pon the bar, a chain having one end connected to the slide and having at its opposite end a clamp, said chain being adapted to be passed upon one side of the srpport and secured to the wire in advance thereof, the wire to be stretched being passed upon the opposite side of the sup- HENRY L. FERRIS.

I/Vitnesses C. F. REYNOLDS, W. S. DODGE. 

